


Not Just a Dream

by Vikki93



Series: Shades and Shadows [5]
Category: Shades of London Series - Maureen Johnson
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:37:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5078086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vikki93/pseuds/Vikki93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles. Sequel to Life is Like a Song, Living Every Moment, Good Days and Bad and A Life Worth Living. Rory and Stephen are happily married with a baby daughter and Callum and Boo are engaged. Sometimes, they can't believe it's not a dream. Fluff, smut, lots of story. Disclaimer: Characters belong to Maureen Johnson</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares and comforts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one of the squad has a nightmare, there's always someone to help them through it.

She would be woken by a frantic voice. That voice would always say the same thing. "It's Stephen. I can't wake him up."  _No_ , she thought.  _He was fine._  She would dive out of bed. Their bed at Goodwin's court. Her mind knew that was wrong. That wasn't where Stephen had slipped into his coma. She would shake her head and run downstairs.

Stephen was always standing in the middle of the living room. He was pale but he was there. Rory sighed in relief. "Oh thank god. She said she couldn't wake you up."

"You couldn't."

His voice was hollow and distant. Behind her, somewhere in the flat, a baby cried. She looked around the room. "Where's Gina?"

Stephen tilted his head to the side. "Gina?"

"Yes, Gina. Our daughter."

"How could we have a daughter? You couldn't wake me up."

Rory shook her head and sobbed. "But...but...I brought you home."

"No," said a voice behind her. She wheeled around. "Dead is dead," Callum said.

"But he's there."

"And you need to stay away from him. You'll blow him up."

She looked down at her hands. She heard another cry from a baby. "Gina..."

She felt a presence behind her. She turned to see Stephen close to her. She leapt back. "No! I got you back! Don't come near me! You know what will happen!"

He shook his head and walked toward her. She was pressed against the wall as he advanced. She couldn't get away from him. She was going to kill him. Her voice was high with fear and grief. "Stephen...I can't lose you... _please._ "

She was crying as he took her hand. It felt warm in hers as the light enveloped them. She screamed as she terminated him. But the warmth of his hand would always stay and then his hand would clasp hers. And then the nightmare fell away and she opened her eyes to see Stephen lying next to her holding her hand. Stephen, who she brought home. Stephen, who was here and alive. Stephen, who had held her hand through many nights. Stephen, her husband and father of her child. She would never let him go. Her life was perfect now but she knew she would never escape the nightmares. But she didn't need to so long as Stephen was there with her.

* * *

He would be running through a deserted London street. He would always hear Rory calling for him, begging him to stay.  _Stay where?_  he would try to yell back. There was never a response. She would beg him not to leave.  _I won't leave you_ , he promised. He kept running. He always arrived back at Goodwin's Court.  _Yes_ , he thought.  _This is home_. But it was always empty. He was always alone. But when he turned around, he wasn't alone. His sister stood there, pale and dead. "Stephen, help me..."

"How?"

"Help me..."

"Gina, tell me how.  _Please._ "

He was desperate. His sister needed help. Upstairs, a baby cried. Stephen turned to the sound immediately. He whispered. "Gina..."

His daughter. He ran up the stairs and into the nursery. A plain room. An empty one. He turned around and walked into the bedroom. Another empty room. Another baby cry, now from downstairs. "Gina?"

He hurried back down and saw Rory on the floor, contorted. Her scar wasn't a scar. It was an open wound. Too much blood. Too much. He screamed and dropped to his knees. Newman stood close by. "Quiet now."

Stephens head whipped around. Newman was holding Regina. "You'll wake the baby." He nodded to Rory's body. "You were supposed to protect her."

Stephen sobbed as he looked back to his wife. "Rory..."

He crawled to her and took her hand. It was cold. Icy cold. Newmans voice was poison in his ear. "You failed."

He shook his head and sobbed again. "Rory, please..."

Whenever they got too bad, he would feel arms around him. He'd feel kisses against his head. He'd hear a heartbeat in his ear. And the world of the nightmare would melt away and he'd find himself cradled against Rory. Rory, who would wake when she heard him call her name. Rory, who could always calm the terror. Rory, who made everything ok. Rory, his wife and mother of his child. She would always pull him close and she never let him go. His life was perfect now but he knew he would never escape the nightmares. But he didn't need to so long as Rory was there with him.

* * *

He would always be arriving back at Goodwin's Court. A different building to the new one but much the same in the inside. His phone would always have Stephens name on it, a missed call. He'd heard the voice mail, Stephens shaking voice telling him to get back to Goodwin's Court because something had happened.

He'd run up the stairs and see Stephen sitting with Rory. What was Rory doing there? Shouldn't she be at school? No, wait...that was ages ago. Wasn't it? "There's been an accident." Stephens voice echoed in Callums head. But Callum wasn't in the flat anymore. He was on the street. A car was parked nearby. Boo was lying on the road. She was dead.

"Boo..."

He stood in shock. He had never told her how he felt about her, had never had the guts.

"She tried to use this on me." He turned slowly and saw Newman holding a terminus. Boos terminus, Persephone. Callum shook his head and turned back to Boo.

She was still lying in the street but now Stephen lay nearby. There was a cut on his head, his right temple. It was bleeding and his breathing was slow and becoming ever slower. Boo was dead and Stephen was dying. Callum shook his head quickly and backed away from the sight. He turned back to Newman.

Newman's voice was cold. "Persephone was always my favourite diamond. Still is."

He was still holding the terminus, still holding Persephone, but now it wasn't the phone or the diamond. Now it was the person who had absorbed it's powers. He held a knife to Rory's throat.

"Let her go, you bastard."

Newman laughed as he pushed Rory away. He slashed at her stomach. Rory gasped and looked to Callum before she fell. He screamed. Rory was gone before he could help. He turned back to Boo and Stephen. Stephen had stopped breathing. Freddie was close by now. She too was dead.

"No... Please no..."

He'd close his eyes for a minute, trying to block it out. When he opened them again Stephen, Rory and Freddie were gone. Boo was still dead.

"Boo...please wake up...Boo..." He sobbed.

Then he would hear a soothing whisper and feel a hand stroking his cheek. The nightmare would disappear and he'd always find himself in bed with Boo. She would pull herself close to him and comfort him. He would always feel better. Boo, his fiancée. Boo, the love of his life. Boo, who made the whole life worth the trouble. He hadn't lost her when she was hit by that car. And he hadn't lost the others either.

* * *

She would always be sitting in the office at Goodwin's Court. The TV would always be on. Explosion in West London... They couldn't get through to Stephen, Callum or Freddie. But then they came home.

Stephen and Freddie were unharmed. Callum had a cut on his head.  _Hospital_ , she thought.  _He needs a hospital_. But she didn't say it out loud.

He'd go for a nap and she'd stay awake. She'd watch TV. She'd read a book. It was Stephen that always alerted her to the problem.

"Don't you remember, Boo?"

"Remember what?"

"I died."

"How could I forget?"

"Do you remember how?"

Suddenly he was bleeding. There was a cut on his right temple. She breathed in sharply and ran to Callum. She suddenly found herself in the Waterloo flat. She went into their bedroom and shook him. She shook him hard. She kept shaking him. His head was bleeding.

"Callum! Wake up!"

"It's too late Boo."

She turned to see Stephen, his head still bleeding. "No," she whispered. "No."

She shook him again. "Callum, wake up...please."

She sobbed as Rory came over to her. "It's hard losing the man you love."

"Callum!"

When he didn't stir, she dropped to her knees. "No..."

"Boo?"

That was Callum's voice. She would always hear Callum's voice when things got too bad. She was gently, very gently, shook. She whimpered and gasped as the nightmare faded and she saw Callum sitting on the bed, cup of tea in hand. She would smile at him softly and sit up, taking the cup from him. Callum, her fiancé. Callum, who she had always loved. Callum, who would soon be her husband. She hadn't lost him. And she wouldn't for a long time.


	2. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jazza has a surprise for everyone

Jazza paced the living room of hers and Jeromes flat. The early January morning light shone through the windows. Jerome was at work and had been since 9am. It was 11 now and Jazza had been pacing for an hour. Who should she tell first? Jerome probably. Yes, it would have to be Jerome. But he didn't finish till 5 and she desperately needed to tell someone. Besides, she didn't know how to tell him. Rory! She would tell Rory! Of course she would tell Rory first. She would be delighted.

She quickly scooped up her coat and handbag and hurried out of the flat. A 30 minute tube ride brought her to the door of Goodwin's Court. She entered the code on the keypad and let herself into the building. She could hear talking in the office and gingerly knocked on the door, opening it to reveal Boo, Freddie and Thorpe. They all looked up from their work and smiled at her.

"Oh hey guys."

"Hey Jaz!" Boo grinned at her.

"How can we help you Jazza?" Thorpe asked kindly.

"I was just looking for Rory."

"She's upstairs love," Freddie replied.

"Ok, thanks guys. Talk in a bit."

"Ok," they all echoed and Jazza quietly shut the door again before heading upstairs to the flat. She took a deep breath, absentmindedly rubbing her stomach as she did, knocked on the door and opened it. "Rory?"

Rory called from the kitchen. "Jaz? Is that you?"

Jazza smiled to herself and closed the door of the flat behind her. She walked into the dining area and down into the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Rory with Regina. "Yeah, it's me."

"Hey." Rory came up to her, hugging her with one arm while she balanced Regina upright in the other.

Jazza giggled. "She's getting big."

"I know. Nearly four months old if you can believe it. Look Gina. Aunty Jazza's here to see us."

Regina giggled and Rory smiled to Jazza. "Do you want to hold her?"

Jazza grinned. "Yeah."

Rory carefully passed Regina over to Jazza before walking back down into the kitchen. "Do you want a cup of tea? Or I have some cheez-wiz."

"Both is good."

Rory laughed. "Well that's true."

"So where's Stephen?"

"Out on call. Something about a ghost in a basement somewhere."

"I thought Stephen needed you whenever he went out?"

Rory prepared a cup of tea and a cup of hot chocolate as she spoke. "Only if Callum and Boo are out too. Then he needs me. But if one of them stays in, he takes their terminus and I get a rest. We're trying to work it so one of us is always home with Gina in case..." She hesitated before going a bit quieter. "Well...we don't want something happening to both of us. We want Gina to have at least one of us."

Jazza acknowledged that with a silent nod. She couldn't imagine how hard it was to live with the possibility of losing the person you loved day in day out. She couldn't bear it if anything happened to Jerome. Especially now. She looked to Regina who was playing with her hair and smiled. She bit her lip. She needed to tell Rory. Rory cleared her throat and a smile came back to her face. "But we've been fine up until now. Neither one of us thinks somethings actually gonna happen. It's just a precaution."

Jazza turned her attention from Regina to Rory. She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure everything will be fine. Rory...I need to tell you something."

Rory's eyebrows furrowed. "Nothing bad I hope? Oh god, you're not splitting up with Jerome are you?"

Jazza laughed. "No, no, me and Jerome are fine. More than fine." She started giggling and then she sniffed as she looked at Regina. Rory came over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Jaz, sweety, what's the matter? You sound like you're gonna cry."

"I might." Jazza sobbed out a laugh. She spoke through some more sobs. "But it's cause I'm happy. I don't suppose...it's possible for me to take Gina out once every couple of weeks?"

Rory smiled gently and rubbed her arm. "I'll have to ask Stephen but I'm sure it'll be fine. We'd be happy for the break. Is there a special reason or you just want to spend time with her?"

She laughed. "Cause she's my goddaughter and I love her and..." She sobbed again happily. "And it'll be good practise."

"Practise for wha-" She stopped abruptly and her mouth opened a bit wider. It pulled into a smile at the sides as she looked at Jazza. Jazza was grinning. "Wait...Jazza...are you...?"

Jazza nodded slowly. "Rory...I'm pregnant."

"Oh my god!" Rory squealed and threw her hands over her mouth and started laughing into them. The front door opened at that moment.

"Sweetheart?"

"Kitchen!" Rory yelled back happily. Stephen walked in a few seconds later. "Oh hey Jaz."

"Hi Stephen." Jazza turned to smile at him with tear filled eyes and Stephen was about to ask what was wrong but Rory spoke first. "Darling, you're just in time. Here." She took Regina from Jaz and handed her to Stephen. "Hold Gina for a second." She went back to her best friend and pulled her into a hug. They both laughed against each other.

"Do I get to share the news?"

Jazza laughed as she pulled apart from Rory. She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Me and Jerome are having a baby."

Stephen gasped. "Jazza, that's wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Thanks. Now I just have to tell Jerome."

"You haven't told him yet?" Stephen asked.

"No...I don't know how."

"Well, no matter how you do it, he'll be thrilled. Just like I was when I found out that Rory was pregnant."

"Oh look at us Jaz," Rory said. "It feels like yesterday we were schoolgirls sharing a room. Now I'm a mother and you're going to be one!"

"I know," Jazza squealed. Rory ran back to her for another hug and when they pulled apart, Stephen gave Jazza a well practised one armed hug. Regina was giggling. Stephen chuckled. "I think that Gina knows something exciting is happening."

Jazza sighed happily as she sat down at the dining table. Rory sat next to her and put an arm around her. "Honestly Jaz, you're gonna love being a mother."

"I know. I can't wait."


	3. Stunned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jerome learns Jazza's news.

Jerome had been at work all day and was exhausted but the time he hauled himself into his car. He had quickly checked his phone on his break and had seen a message from Jazza. It had come through an hour before.

**_Just gone to Rory's. I'll probably be back by the time you get home though xxx_ **

He'd replied as soon as he could.

_**Ok hon. I'll see you later. Say hi to Rory and Stephen for me xxx** _

The reply came almost instantly.

_**They both say hi. I need to tell you something but not over the phone xxx** _

His heart had skipped a beat at that. What could be so important that she couldn't tell him over the phone? She wasn't breaking up with him was she? God, he wouldn't be able to cope if he ever lost Jaz.  _No_ , he thought.  _There's still three kisses on the end of the text. If she wanted to end things, she wouldn't have put them. Would she?_  He had quickly text her back before his break ended.

_**Ok sweetheart. I'll be home in a few hours xxx** _

So now he drove through the London streets, dark in the late January evening, his mind running through all the possibilities it could think of. He'd been thinking about it for a few hours now. He eventually pulled up outside their flat and half fell half ran inside. He closed the front door and took off his coat as he called into the flat. "Jaz? Sweety?"

Jazza stepped out of the bedroom into the living room. She smiled at Jerome nervously. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied. He cocked his head at her. "You seem nervous." He walked over to her with that easy smile he had and placed his hands on her arms. "Is everything ok?"

She smiled at him softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him and his arms went around her middle. She pulled away slowly. "I'm fine. It's just...I have something to tell you."

"Ahhh yes," he said. "The mysterious text. I've been wondering about that all day."

She disentangled herself from him and stepped back a bit. She went to sit on their couch and patted the cushion next to her. "Sit down."

He bit his lip and sat next to her. She turned her body so she was facing him. "Ok. I don't quite know how to do this..."

"Do what?"

She started flexing her fingers nervously. "I've been trying to figure out how to do this all day..."

He took her hands in his. "Sweetheart...do what?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Tell you..."

He gave her hands a gentle squeeze and his voice was soft. "Just tell me, honey. It's ok."

She sighed and smiled. "You like it when we have the day with Gina don't you?"

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. What did Gina have to do with anything? He chuckled slightly. "Yeah."

She giggled nervously. "Gina's a proper little Rory isn't she?"

He nodded gently. "Yeah...sweetheart...what's going on?"

She looked at him for a minute. "So you like looking after Gina?"

"Yeah."

"Well...how would you feel...if I told you that...we have our own..."

Realisation as to what her news might be began to dawn on him slowly. He inhaled softly.  _Oh god_ , he thought.  _Is she...?_  "Jaz...are you...?"

Jazza looked into his wide eyes and nodded. "Jerome...I'm pregnant."

His mouth slowly dropped open. He blinked hard a few times before staring at her wide eyed. "But...but...how? We use protection..."

"I guess it just didn't work."

He nodded. "Well, condoms aren't 100% effective."

"Jerome...you do want this baby don't you?"

He noticed the shake in her voice before he heard her words. But as soon as the words registered, he smiled at her widely. "Yes, of course! I'm just shocked. But happy. Really happy."

She sighed in relief as he hugged her. "Thank god."

He held her close and laughed happily before he picked up his phone. "I've got to text Ro- wait. Rory already knows doesn't she?"

Jazza smiled guiltily. "Yeah."

He chuckled. "That's why you were around at hers."

"Guilty as charged."

He laughed. "I'm still gonna text her."

Jazza giggled as he typed.

_**Hey gross. I know you already know this but I'm gonna be a dad! :D x** _

He'd only just set his phone on the arm of the couch when the reply came through.

_**Yeah, I know! Congrats my wonderfully disgusting friend xD xx** _

Jazza smiled softly at the texts. "I love how you still insult each other."

He laughed. "Yeah, it's just one of those things that never goes away. It's how I managed to stay in contact with her when she went missing all those years ago. That's how I knew it was her. It's just our own little thing."

Jazza nestled against him. "No, I get it. It's sweet."

He started laughing. "Oh my god...we're having a baby."

Jazza giggled against him and he kissed the top of her forehead as his phone buzzed again.

_**Stephen says to come round and we'll open a bottle of something to celebrate. We have lemonade for Jaz :) x** _

Jerome held the phone out to Jazza to read. She smiled and nodded. "Great. Come on. Let's go get me wasted on lemonade."

Jerome laughed as they stood and he pulled her into a gentle kiss before leaving the flat. They got the tube to Goodwin's Court because they were both far too distracted to drive. When they got there, Jazza went to find Rory in the living room and Stephen held out a glass of champagne to Jerome as soon as he stepped through the door. "You need a drink."

Jerome laughed as he accepted the glass. "You're not wrong."

Stephen smiled. "Trust me, the shock will probably wear off eventually."

"Probably?"

Stephen chuckled. "Gina's four months old and I'm still in shock that I'm a dad. But I think that's just me."

Jerome laughed again as he sipped his champagne. He spied Rory as she made her way over to him. He held put his glass down as she threw her arms around him. "Ahhhh! This is so exciting!"

He chuckled against her before she pulled away. "I know. I can't believe it."

Just as Rory was about to speak, Gina cried upstairs. Rory turned around but Stephen motioned for her to stay. "It's alright darling. I'll get her. You stay with Jerome and Jaz."

He smiled at her before he went upstairs. Rory turned back to Jerome. "You're gonna love being a parent. It's amazing. You won't sleep again but it's worth it."

"Well, I'm excited." He looked across to Jazza at the living room door and saw Stephen descend the stairs out the corner of his eye. He was carrying Gina. Rory took a step back so that she was next to Stephen. Jerome smiled at the three of them as Jazza came over to him. He put his arm around her as he watched Rory and Stephen with Gina. He smiled as the thought of having all of that with Jazza in just nine months.


	4. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boo needs help planning the wedding and the girls discuss Jazza's baby.

Venues. That was one of the choices she had to make. Dresses. Flowers. Hairstyles. So many, many choices. Boo sat on the floor with bridal magazines open all around her. One page of one had dresses, one page of another had hairstyles, one page of another had a list of flowers that would look nice at a wedding. She sighed as she rearranged the magazines. Maybe if she moved them around, inspiration might come. Ok. Firstly, venues. There was a cute little church not too far from them or there was a registry office in central London. She would need to talk to Callum about that. That was for the ceremony. The reception was a different matter. Should they have a large one or a small one? Small one. There wasn't that many people going. Although, both her family and Callums would be there as well as Rory, Stephen, little Regina, Thorpe, Freddie, Jazza and Jerome. Ok, large one. They'd have a large reception. Thorpe had said he'd try and book the Hilton again like he'd done for Rory and Stephen but that might not manage the bridal suite. After all, Rory's parents had paid half for that. Boo didn't mind.

At least one of her choices had been sorted. She knew who her bridesmaids were. Rory was maid of honour, and Jazza, Freddie and Regina were bridesmaids. She smiled to herself as she imagined Regina being carried by Rory in a tiny little dress. She was going to be adorable. Both she and Callum had also figured out who would be walking who down the aisle. Stephen, Callums best man, would naturally be walking Rory and Regina. Thorpe would be walking Freddie again like he had done at Rory and Stephens wedding and Jerome would be walking Jazza, naturally.

They had also figured out a date. Well, nearly figured one out. Ok, they knew what month they wanted. September. September was always a good month. Rory had come into Stephens and, by extension, their lives in September. Stephen had proposed in September. Regina had been born in September. So they wanted September because it would mark five years since Stephen met Rory, three since he proposed, Regina's first birthday and, hopefully, their own wedding. September. Boo really wanted a September wedding.

She sighed again as she looked at the magazines.  _Time to call in the cavalry_ , she thought.

* * *

Now Boo, Rory, Freddie and Jazza sat on the floor surrounded by bridal magazines. Cups of tea and hot chocolate sat next to them. They'd spent the last hour dividing up the jobs. Rory would help Boo pick the dresses. Freddie would help pick the flowers and Jazza would help with hair and make up. Boo had managed to breath a sigh of relief. Now she could focus on each thing separately. They were all talking excitedly about the wedding.

"Do you think I'll be able to get Gina a little bridesmaid dress?" Rory asked.

"I'm sure we'll find something, yeah? If not, we could get her one of those little white communion dresses and add some bows."

"Hmmm," Rory hummed her agreement as she drank her hot chocolate.

"Jaz, love, you can just wear whatever feels comfortable at the time," Boo called across the field of magazines. "I really don't mind. You'll be about ready to drop then, yeah?"

"In September? Yeah, I'll be about 8 months gone but don't worry. I'll just order a size humongous so it can fit the bump."

They all laughed. "Oh, I hope you have a Halloween baby," Freddie said. "That would be cute."

Boo smiled widely. Rory giggled. "As if this group wasn't strange enough."

"Speak for yourself," Jazza giggled.

"Yeah," Boo agreed. "Jazza and Jerome are the only ones who aren't odd which, ironically, makes them the odd ones out."

They all laughed again before Jazza spoke. "What about little Gina though?"

Rory swallowed her hot chocolate quickly. "Did I forget to tell you?"

Jazza narrowed her eyes questioningly. Rory continued. "You know how I told you there's a ghost in the Wexford library?"

"Oh yeah...Alistair? Is that his name?"

"Yeah, well I took Gina to meet him and she saw him."

"So she's odd too," Boo added.

"Oh well. It's better being odd than normal," Jazza said. "More fun, I imagine."

"Sometimes," Freddie agreed.

They were all quiet for a minute as they sipped their drinks and turned pages of the magazines. Jazza licked her lips and nodded her head gently. "Alistair...that's a nice name."

Boo smiled to herself. She had to go and see Alistair soon. It had been a while. It would be cute if Jazza had a boy and named him Alistair. "Have you thought about names yet, love?"

Jazza giggled. "Boo, I only found out I was pregnant a week ago."

"Fair enough."

"But Alistair is a nice name...I'll remember that."

"Oh my God!" Rory exclaimed. "I've just had the best idea. Jazza, if you've had the baby by Halloween and you're up for it, you, me and Boo need to do Zombie Spice Girls again!"

"Oh yeah!" Boo agreed. "Freddie can be Posh and Gina could be Baby!"

Jazza laughed. "Sounds like a plan."

Freddie's eyebrows were raised. " _Zombie Spice Girls?_ "

Boo nodded quickly. "Yeah, it was a group costume we did at Wexford. We had a bone for Posh and we told everyone we ate Baby. It was amazing. But then I got hit by a car."

"Oh god!" Freddie exclaimed. "What happened?"

"The Ripper happened," Boo stated matter of factly. She realised she had effectively killed the conversation by accident.

Thankfully, Rory saved it. "Tell me what you want, what you really, really want."

"BRAINS," Boo, Rory and Jazza said in unison.

"My god," Freddie said. "Was that part of it?"

"Yep," Jazza nodded happily.

"Wow...that's...insane." Freddie started laughing.

"Well," Boo said with a smile as she turned a page. "That just about sums us up."


	5. Shoulder to cry on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Freddie thinks her girlfriend wants to break up, Boo and Callum comfort her.

Freddie walked through the streets of London in a daze. She should've seen it coming. She really should've. This had happened before. Cars whizzed past her as she walked, head down, hood up, trying to shield herself from the February wind. Despite the noise on the streets, she could hear her footsteps echoing on the ground with each step she took. She was walking on automatic, not concentrating on where her feet were carrying her.

By the time she reached the flat at Waterloo, she was cold, tired and miserable. She unlocked the front door and pulled herself upstairs into the flat. Boo and Callum sat on the couch, giggling away. They both turned around when she came in. She offered them a small, weak and incredibly fake smile. "Hey guys."

"Hey," Callum said.

"Hey, love." Boo was about to turn away but she did a double take. "Love? Are you alright?"

When he heard Boo ask that, Callum turned back and noticed that Freddie didn't seem her usual chirpy self. Freddie offered the same smile as she walked over and collapsed into the armchair. "I'm fine," she lied.

Boo raised an eyebrow. Freddie widened her smile. Boo raised her eyebrows even higher. Freddie's smile collapsed. "No, I'm not."

Boo looked at her sympathetically while Callum stood up. "I'll let put the kettle on."

Boo smiled at him as he walked through to the kitchen before looking back to Freddie. She scooted a little closer. "What's wrong love?"

Freddie looked down at the floor and sighed. "I think Emily wants to break up with me."

Boos face dropped. "Aww no. Are you sure?"

"Well...she's talking about taking a break."

"Well," Boo said gently. "It doesn't sound definite."

"I guess...but I know what the problem is and it's not something I can easily fix."

"Let me guess...she doesn't know much about you and thinks you're too secretive."

"Yep. And if I tell her the truth, she'll think I'm mad."

Boo considered it for a moment. "Why don't you tell her half of the truth. You work for the police but the unit you're in is top secret."

Freddie nodded gently. "I could do that." She sighed. "It's just a big mess. All I want is..." She sighed again and bit her lip.

Boo put a hand on her arm. "What love?"

Freddie's bottom lip trembled. She thought about her last girlfriend, the one who left for Scotland. She couldn't be honest with her either. She thought about Rory and Stephen and how things had worked out for them. They didn't have to lie to each other, didn't have to keep secrets. They both understood each other's lives. She thought about Callum and Boo and how easy things were for them for the same reason. There was no lying, no deceit and a shared madness. She sniffed and her voice shook. "I just want someone who understands."

She sobbed gently as Boo took her hands. "Come here love."

Freddie let Boo pull her over onto the couch and felt her arm go around her. She cried against her. Boo whispered soothingly. "It'll be alright. Things might yet work out with Emily, yeah? You just have to...be as honest as possible. Only hold back the really mad stuff."

Freddie nodded against her. She heard Callum come back though with the teas. He set them down on the table gently. He didn't interrupt as Freddie gently wept. After a moment or two, she pulled away from Boo gently to pick up a cup of tea. She sipped the hot liquid slowly, letting the tea warm her. She wiped her eyes and stared into her tea. Callum spoke quietly. "Everything alright?"

Freddie felt Boo look at her and Freddie nodded. "I need to talk to Emily. See if I can sort this out."

She sniffed again and took another sip of tea. "We haven't completely broken up yet. She wants a break. She said she'd phone me in a week to talk. I won't worry until then. And I'll figure out what the hell today."

Boo rubbed her back. "We can help you with that if you like? We're here for you love. Whenever you need to talk or a shoulder to cry on, we're here."

"Yeah," Callum agreed. "We all are."

Freddie smiled again but this time it was real. "Thanks guys."

"Let us know how it goes," Boo said.

"I will."

"It'll be ok, love," Callum added. "You'll always have us."

Freddie looked up and him and nodded. Her eyes still watered and her lip still trembled but she knew he was right. They were her family and her family wouldn't let her be alone.


	6. Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diana Dene pays a visit to Stephen, Rory and Regina

No, Edward had certainly not been happy. He hadn't been happy when she went to see them on Boxing Day either but she hadn't let it stop her. And she wouldn't let him stop her now. She had phoned ahead the previous day and he had turned his nose up as she spoke on the phone. He had tried to talk her out of it all night, tried to tell her that Stephen wasn't worth their time.  _He may not be worth yours_ , she had thought to herself.  _But he's worth mine. They all are._

Even as she dressed to leave for the early train the next morning, he tried to talk her out of it. But she had left him mid sentence and went for the train. Now she was ten minutes from London and smiling happily. It had been two months since she had seen her son and his family and she couldn't wait to see them again. She had a new little teddy for Regina and a gold choker for Rory. She had found it when she was clearing up and she decided to give it to her daughter-in-law because she didn't wear chokers anymore. That and she had noticed the heart pendant Rory always wore and she thought the gold choker would set it off nicely if there was a special occasion.

She looked out of the train window as Outer London went by. She could still hear her husbands voice in her head telling her that visiting them was a terrible idea. She wasn't going to let him change the progress she had made. Too long she had forgotten how to be a mother and she would never be able to fix things with her daughter. But she still had a chance with her son and when she realised that she wanted to fix things, she had grabbed that chance with both hands and hadn't let go. She wasn't going to let Edward pry her hands from it now. Now she had a real relationship with Stephen, something she had never had before. And because of that, she had a chance to be a part of her granddaughters life. Edward would never know that joy and she felt pity for him.

Outer London morphed into central London as the train neared Kings Cross. She checked her watch. 10am. Right on time. Stephen was meeting her outside the station in five minutes. She picked up her handbag from beside her feet and disembarked the train once it had pulled to a stop. She walked along the platform merrily, her heels clicking on the concrete. She stepped out onto the busy London street and searched for Stephen.

"Mum!" She turned her head in the direction of the call and smiled as she saw Stephen jogging towards her. He slowed to a run as he neared and she stepped closer.

"Hello dear."

"Hi mum. Good trip?" He pulled her into a quick hug and she squeezed him before pulling apart. He motioned toward the direction he came from and they started to walk. She nodded.

"Quite pleasant."

"I bet father's not happy you're here."

"Your fathers not happy about a lot of things, Stephen. But yes, you're right. He's quite opposed to the idea."

Stephen chuckled. "All the more reason then."

Diana smiled at her son. "Indeed. How are Rory and Gina?"

He smiled widely. "Both fine. Gina can sit up by herself now. And she recognises her name. And she's chewing on everything."

"Has she started babbling yet?"

"Oh yeah. She loves that. And making bubbles."

Diana chuckled. "I have a new teddy for her."

Stephen looked across at his mother and smiled. "Thanks. I'm sure she'll love it. Here we are."

He nodded at a plain vehicle that sat parked by the side of the road. Diana tilted her head slightly. "Is it allowed to be parked there?"

He chuckled. "It's an unmarked vehicle. Looks normal but has all the privileges of a marked police car. Means I could park here instead of waiting forever for an actual space."

Diana laughed as she walked around to the front passenger seat and opened the door. "Abusing your power, dear?"

He smiled at her widely as they climbed into the car. "Yeah, a little."

Diana settled into the seat and fastened her seatbelt as Stephen did the same thing. He expertly manoeuvred the car out onto the road and drove in the direction of Goodwin's Court. "So what time is your train back?"

"Not until 7. I have the whole day here."

She saw Stephen grin as he drove around a bus. He really was quite a skilled driver. "I'm glad," he replied. "I've missed you."

She looked at him gently. "I've missed you too."

He quickly glanced at her with a smile before looking back to the road. His face lit up as he remembered something. "Oh, mum. If you look on the backseat, there's a photo album I thought you might want to see."

Diana turned to look and saw the album. She reached behind her and picked it up. She opened it and gasped at the photos. Stephen continued. "I thought you'd want to see them because you weren't there on the day."

He glanced across at her again and saw her nod. She looked through the photos slowly, taking each one in. She bit her lip and smiled sadly as she looked at photo after photo of her sons wedding day. "These are lovely. I'm just sorry we couldn't make things right before then. I'm sorry I wasn't there."

They had stopped at a light and Stephen took the chance to look at her. Diana looked up and saw her son looking at her sadly. "Me too. But we're making up for it now."

Before long, they were parking up near the arched entrance of Goodwin's Court. They both exited the car and walked towards Stephens building. He cleared his throat. "So...how's father?"

She glanced to him as she walked. "Oh, he's fine. As stubborn as ever. As much as you hate each other, you can't deny that you get your stubbornness from him."

He smiled to her sheepishly. She was reminded of a time when he was a toddler and he broke a vase. He had smiled that same sheepish smile then. She smiled warmly as she thought of it. They both walked into the building and up the stairs into the flat. Stephen led her into the living room. Inside, Rory was sitting with Gina on a play mat. Just as Stephen had said, Gina was supporting herself. Rory looked up and smiled. "Hey Diana."

"Hello, Rory dear," she replied as she sat on the couch and looked down to them. "Hello Gina."

At the sound of her name, Regina babbled and turned her head in Diana's direction. Diana turned to look at Stephen in the doorway and he smiled at her. "Told you she recognises her name. Do you want a cup of tea, mum?"

"Yes, please dear. Thank you."

He nodded at her before looking across the room. "Rory? Hot chocolate?"

"I'd kill for one."

"Right." He smiled at them all before making his way through to the kitchen.

Regina giggled on the play mat and Diana stood and walked over, lowering herself down next to Rory and Regina. Rory smiled brightly as she did so. "Look Gina, it's Grandma Diana."

Diana stroked Regina's cheek. "Hello darling. You're getting big." She gently picked Regina up and cuddled her before setting her back down on the mat. Diana reached for her handbag. "I brought this for you, dear." She lifted the teddy bear out of the bag and handed it to Regina. She immediately started chewing on it. Diana laughed and reached back into the bag. "And this is for you," she said to Rory. Rory looked at her curiously and her eyes widened when she saw the gold choker. "I thought it would go well with this heart pendant you wear." She nodded to the necklace that hung around Rory's neck. "For special occasions."

Rory giggled and took the choker. "Thank you. I love it."

She leant forward and hugged Diana before Regina giggled between them. They pulled apart as Stephen came back into the room. He paused for a moment before grinning widely at the sight of his wife, daughter and mother sitting together on the play mat. He put the tray of mugs on the table and sat down next to them, passing the hot chocolate to Rory and the tea to Diana. She accepted the cup with a thank you. Before Stephen could pick up his cup, Regina held her arms out to him. He smiled down at her and picked her up. Diana sipped her tea as she watched her son play with his own child.

She bit her lip once more but both she and Rory started laughing as Regina pulled Stephens glasses off. He chuckled. "Oi. What are you doing you little madam? Daddy needs them to see." Rory reached over and gently took the glasses from Regina with a laugh. Stephen chuckled again and kissed his daughter on the head before sitting her back down on the mat and accepting his glasses from Rory. "Thanks, hon."

Diana chuckled to herself and her eyes widened as Regina shuffled herself over to Diana. Stephen helped her along a bit once he saw where she was going. "I think she wants her grandma."

Diana smiled warmly as she set down her tea and picked up her granddaughter. She held her close as Regina giggled in her arms. It was this exact reason that she wouldn't let Edward change anything now. She liked being here. She liked sitting with her son and her daughter-in-law and her granddaughter. She liked being able to laugh and play with her son and his family like any other parent could. She liked being accepted by them and loved by them. She thought she had lost that a long time ago and yet here she was. She looked up from Regina to Stephen and saw him watching them with a wide smile.  _Edward be damned_ , she thought.  _This is my family. And I won't lose it again_.


	7. Collapse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the entire team faces an angry ghost, the consequences of the termination are dire.

There was no choice. They all needed to be there. All of them. Stephen and Rory had been apprehensive about both of them being out on the same call at the same time. Regina needed somebody. They didn't want to risk something happening to both of them. But there was no choice. Callum and Boo had been in together to take care of this one but they couldn't manage it. It was too unstable, too quick, too dangerous. They had tried again and had taken Freddie with them. Again, it was too much for them to handle. They need Rory and Stephen too. Stephen offered to come with them and have Rory stay at home with Regina but there was no way she was having him come out here without a terminus. When he wasn't with her, he would use Boos or Callums but they had them now and Rory wasn't about to let Stephen walk in here unarmed. She had offered to go and have Stephen stay at home with Regina but Stephen wasn't going with it. Ghosts, he knew she could handle fine but this one was something Boo, Callum and Freddie couldn't handle together. That meant it was bad and Stephen wanted to be there to protect her. In the end, they decided to face it as a group like they always had, in the hope that, like always, they'd all get each other through it. So Rory had called Jerome and Jazza, calmly explained the situation and, when they had arrived at Goodwin's Court to babysit Regina, the squad headed out to the sounds of "be careful" coming from Jerome and Jazza. It was mid morning and the March daylight beamed down on them.

The team crept silently though the empty building. Splitting up was not an option this time. They were all sticking together. Boo had a terminus as did Callum so Freddie always made sure she was by one of them at all times. Rory gripped Stephens hand tightly. She could feel her breathing coming short and quick as they searched the building. She thought of Regina at home and wanted nothing more than to be cuddled up on the couch next to Stephen, watching a movie while their daughter played on the play mat beside them. She smiled gently at the thought and kept it in her mind as her footsteps echoed through the empty corridors.

No one dared talk. The only sounds were the shuffling of feet as the team moved through the building and the sharp, alert breathing of the five shades. They came to a closed double door and Stephen looked around at them all. They wordlessly agreed to go through. He let go of Rory's hand but their fingers lingered together for as long as possible before he pushed open the doors. They stepped into a cafeteria but all of the tables and chairs had been put away. The only thing that told Rory that it was a cafeteria was the old food bar at the back of the room. Without the tables and chairs, it was a wide open space. They all walked to the centre of the room before Stephen turned to look at them. There were doors at different ends of the room. "Ok," he whispered. "Boo, Freddie, peek through that door. Don't go through. If you think there's anything of interest, we'll go through together. Callum, you do the same with that door. Me and Rory will look over here. No one leave this room and stay in sight of each other."

They all nodded and walked in their directions. Rory breathed deeply and walked with Stephen to the final door. As Stephen walked, a shadow caught Rory's eye and she stopped. But when she turned to look, she could see nothing. She stood paralysed for a moment before her senses came back to her and she turned back toward Stephen. As she walked to close the gap that had grown between them, she heard Callum call out. "Christ almighty!"

Both she and Stephen whipped their heads to the side and saw Callum on the floor, pushing himself upright. Everything seemed to start moving too fast for Rory to keep up. Before she understood how, Boo and Freddie were running towards Callum and helping him up while Callums terminus, which had skidded across the floor, was being picked up by Stephen. She looked in the direction of where Callum had walked and saw a tall man in overalls lumbering toward them. He was angry, grey and very dead. His head suddenly turned toward Stephen and Rory felt a wave of panic. He was quick, too quick, and suddenly Stephen went from standing upright to being on the floor.  _No!_  She thought. "Hey!"

Both the ghost and Stephen looked to her and she swallowed hard.  _Shit_. Suddenly, Stephen was pulling himself off of the ground and Boo was making a beeline straight for the ghost, her terminus out. He looked at Boo briefly and Rory took her chance. This ghost was too quick for Boo, she knew that instinctively, but now it was distracted. She quickly threw a look to Stephen, who was standing once more, and saw that he was about to call out.  _No, darling. It needs to be me. I'm the only terminus strong enough._  She wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt. She held out her hand and, in a few strides, she grabbed the ghosts arm.

She wasn't expecting it. She really wasn't. It had hurt before but never,  _never_ , like this. This was too much. Deep down, she knew this was too much for her to handle. Deep down, she truly believed she wouldn't get through this. The pain ripped through her entire body. Every inch of her felt like it was on fire. It was pain like she had never felt before. Even childbirth had been more bearable than this. She tried to scream but no sound came from her throat. All she could do was pray that it would end soon. She felt weak and was getting weaker even as the pain abated. The light that dominated her vision eventually cleared and the ghost was gone. She gasped loudly, desperately trying to draw air back into her lungs. Her eyes were stinging and her cheeks were wet and she only just realised that the pain had caused her to cry. She saw Stephen standing a few steps away from her, his face contorted with fear and worry. He must have seen her reaction, must've realised that it had hurt her like never before. She struggled to stay standing and looked at him helplessly. Her vision was blurring again, Stephen becoming faint as a darkness crept into her line of sight. She briefly wondered if he would be the last thing she ever saw, if this was the thing that would kill her. It certainly felt like it. She certainly believed it. She tried to say his name even as her last reserves of energy fled her body but her voice was nothing but a strained whisper. "Stephen..."

Her legs crumbled beneath her as her eyes closed. She couldn't find the strength to open them again no matter how hard she tried. She braced herself for the impact with the floor but felt arms catch her instead. She knew those arms. They had held her so many times. She heard Stephen calling her name, begging her to wake up but she couldn't. Her eyes wouldn't open. And then a strangely pleasant relaxation swept over her body and she felt herself fall away from the world. Stephens voice became weaker and she knew she was slipping deeper into unconsciousness.  _Perhaps this is what death is_ , she thought. She tried one final time to open her eyes but to no avail.  _Take care of our daughter, Stephen._  And then Stephens voice disappeared completely as her body gave in to the urge to let go.

* * *

Stephen cradled Rory where he'd caught her. She was limp in his arms and her head had fallen back. The only thing that told Stephen that she was still alive was the gentle movement of her chest. He rearranged himself so that she was lying more comfortably in his arms even though he knew she couldn't feel anything. An air of urgency had descended on the team. Stephens voice was shaking and desperate and it was obvious to everyone that he was close to tears. "Rory? Sweetheart, please wake up. Wake up. Darling, please. Rory... Come on, sweetheart. Please wake up.  _Please_."

He looked down at her as she lay in his arms, her face peaceful and relaxed in a sharp contrast to the pain that had overwhelmed it mere seconds ago. He had never seen a termination hurt her like that. Yes, he had seen some hurt her but never to that degree. He prayed he would never see her in that much pain again. But mostly, he prayed that she would wake up. Callum was pacing hard behind him. Freddie and Boo were deadly still.

Freddie spoke quickly. "We need to get her a hospital."

Callum chuckled darkly. "And tell them what? 'Hi, our friend needs help. She terminated a ghost and it was quite a violent termination and now she won't wake up and we don't know what's wrong with her. Can you help?' We'd be carted off to an asylum."

Stephen inhaled and exhaled shakily as he listened to what was happening behind him. Freddie spoke again. "Well we have to do something."

"What about Dr Marigold?" Boo suggested.

"Yes," Stephen said quickly. He didn't look around to them. His attention was fixed sorely on Rory. "We take her to Marigold. She knows about Rory's ability. If Marigold can't help we take her to hospital. We just tell them she collapsed and we don't know why."

"Right," Callum said.

Stephen forced himself to take charge of the situation. Rory needed his help. He needed to lead or she could...  _Please God, no_. He couldn't bring himself to even think the word so he didn't. He acted instead. He took one of her arms and put it around his neck and then, with one arm securely around her middle and one under her legs, he lifted her off of the ground. "Let's go."

He carried her out to the car, the others following behind him quickly. "Callum, you drive. Freddie, you're in the front with him. Phone Marigold, tell her what's happened and that we're on our way. Phone Thorpe, explain the situation and where we're going, then phone Jerome. He and Jazza will need to stay with Gina for a while longer and they need to know that. Break the news carefully. We don't want to cause Jazza too much stress, not in her condition. Boo, you come with me in the back. We'll take care of Rory. Can you get the door?"

Boo acted fast, opening the back of the car for Stephen before running around to the other side and opening her door. She climbed into her side and helped Stephen place Rory in the back. He got in beside her and sat her as carefully as possible between himself and Boo. Her head gently fell against his shoulder and he put an arm around her protectively. He could feel her gentle breathing against him and he took comfort in the fact that she still breathed. "Hold on, sweetheart," he whispered to her. "Stay with me." Callum turned on the sirens so that he could get to Marigolds as quickly as possible. The car sped off down the street.


	8. Meanwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jazza and Jerome are informed of the situation and both agree to stay with Gina.

Jerome watched Jazza as she sat on the play mat with Regina. He leant against the doorway of the living room and listened for the kettle boiling in the kitchen. He smiled gently as he watched how natural she was with children. She would be an amazing mother, he knew it. He couldn't wait for the day that they'd be able to play with their own child like that. He grinned to himself as he thought about it. She looked up at him and smiled widely. The kettle boiled at that moment and he threw a look to the kitchen before retreating slowing through the door.

He smiled to himself and he walked through into the living room, humming to himself as he did so. He poured the water into the mugs and searched for a spoon. He opened and closed three drawers before he found where they were.  _Seriously?_  He thought. _You'd think by now I'd know where they keep their spoons._  He stirred the teas as he felt his phone ring in his pocket. Perhaps that was Stephen or Rory saying they'd be home soon. He pulled his phone out and saw Freddie's name on the screen. He looked at it curiously for a second before answering.

"Hello?"

"Jerome, it's me."

His breath caught. Freddie's voice was shaky. She was worried about something. He cleared his throat. "Freddie, you sound worried. What's wrong?"

"It's Rory. We don't know what's wrong. She collapsed and she's not waking up. We're taking her to get help now."

He gasped and steadied himself against the counter. "Jesus..."

"I'm phoning because...hang on...Stephen wants you."

Jerome waited a few seconds and listened to the shuffling of the phone being handed over. Eventually, Stephens voice came through, urgent and quick. "Jerome?"

"Yeah, what's happening? What's wrong with Rory?"

"I don't know. I wish I did. Listen I-" Jerome heard Stephen sniff and take a breath - "I need you and Jazza to stay with Gina until someone else can get back to you."

"Ok."

"You know you're welcome to everything in the flat. I'm hoping someone can get back tonight but if we can't, you and Jazza are welcome to the bedroom. Gina's bedtime is at 7. She has formula made up in the fridge..." Stephens voice was giving way. "I'm sorry to ask this of you but-"

"No, it's ok," Jerome reassured him quickly. "Just get Rory some help."

"Believe me, I'm going to."

"And keep me updated."

"I will. And thank you again."

"No bother. I need to go tell Jaz."

"Ok, careful how you do it. Try not to stress her too much."

"I'll try."

"Ok, I have to go. Thank you."

"Yeah."

Jerome hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. He took a few deep breaths before walking back to the living room, teas forgotten. He walked slowly, trying to process the information. Rory was hurt. She needed help. Stephen had sounded terrified on the phone and he had evidently been trying desperately not to cry. It was bad. Jerome knew it. But how would he break it to Jaz? He came back to the doorway and saw her still playing with Regina. He couldn't bring himself to smile. He walked in slowly and Jazza looked up at him. The smile dropped from her face when she saw his face clouded with worry.

"Jerome? What's the matter?"

He knelt down onto the mat gently. Regina giggled at him and he tried to smile at her. He couldn't. "Ok, don't panic, but we may need to stay here for a while longer."

Jazza narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I've just had Stephen on the phone. He's not sure they'll get back tonight and he asked if we could stay with Gina."

"Well of course we'll stay but what's the matter?"

He paused for a moment, unsure of how to say it. He took a deep breath. "It's Rory. She's been hurt. They're getting her some help now but they might not be home tonight."

Jazza's mouth parted slightly and her lip trembled. "What's wrong with her?"

"He doesn't know. All he knows is that she needs help and Gina needs someone to stay with her."

Jazza exhaled shakily. "Of course," she whispered. "I just... I just hope..." Her voice broke. "I just hope she's ok."

Jerome felt his bottom lip quiver and he took Jazzas hand. Regina giggled between them, oblivious to the problem. He bit his lip and prayed the Regina wouldn't lose her mother. "Me too." He inhaled deeply, trying to hold back the tears. "Me too."


	9. Thorpe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorpe is informed of the situation and hurries to the teams location.

Paperwork. Paperwork everywhere. When he was a younger man training for the secret service, he'd imagined his life being a little bit more like James Bond movies. Spies, women, action. But it hadn't turned out that way. MI5 was exciting in its own way though. He could do pretty much anything with security if he wanted. He could get buildings unlocked, he could remove CCTV, he could make cover stories. He wasn't a spy, not in the way everyone imagined, but he still felt like one. Maybe he was his own version of James Bond.

He also had what was probably the strangest job in MI5. As the supervisor to the Shades, he had momentarily been a laughing stock. But he'd stood his ground and stuck by his family and he'd earned respect for that. Sure, people would walk past him in the corridor and make ghost noises at him now and again but he ignored it. That also tended to be why he didn't go to the Halloween parties, choosing instead to spend them with the team.

He sat back in his chair and glanced out of his office window over the streets of London. He was admiring the sunny March morning as his mobile began to ring. He turned back to his desk quickly. His office landline meant someone in the building or somewhere else official was phoning. But his mobile was always a Shade. He knew they were out on a call. He'd been the one to tell them about it. Old office building ready for refurbishment, workers being scared away by unseen entity. It had sounded like a simple job but he knew it hadn't been so. He knew they were all out there. He prayed hard that this phone call was just one of them phoning in with confirmation of termination and the safety of all involved. When he saw Freddie's name, he felt that something was wrong. The phone call almost always came from Stephen, sometimes from Callum.

He answered it on the third ring.

"Freddie."

"Thorpe, we have a problem."

"Explain."

"We got the ghost. He's gone. But Rory's..."

She paused and Thorpe stopped breathing for a moment. He had to prompt Freddie to make her continue. "Freddie?"

"Rory's been hurt. Badly. Like,  _really_  badly. She was screaming, or at least she tried to and then she collapsed. We can't wake her up. We've tried everything. She's just not responding to us."

"How long has she been unconscious?"

"She's been out about...Erm..."

Thorpe faintly heard Stephen say 'about ten minutes' in background and Freddie repeated it down the phone. "About ten minutes."

"And where are you now?"

"On our way to Dr Marigolds."

"Right. I'll meet you there. I'll leave right now."

"Ok."

Thorpe hung up the phone and allowed himself to pause for a moment. He needed to be calm enough to drive. He sat forward over his desk and put his head in his hands. She would be fine. She  _had_  to be. Rory always was. Even from the moment he met her in that hospital bed after her attack, he could tell she was strong. But he was scared. He had to admit that to himself. He didn't want to lose anyone. He ran his hands through his white hair, a feature too old for his face. He stood quickly and whipped his coat from where it hung on the wall and all but ran from the office. The lift took an eternity to arrive and when it finally did, it seemed to stop at every floor on the way down. Eventually, he made it out to his car and hauled himself in. He gunned the engine and pulled away from Thames House into the London traffic.


End file.
